The holidays are a great time to get a little more
adventurous with your makeup. With all those holiday parties and
social events, you’re going to want to glam it up. 2009’s holiday
trends are glitzy, yet very wearable. Try these tips to jazz up your
look:

Smoky eyes. First of all, follow the cardinal
rule of makeup: dark eyes, light lips, or vice versa. Never go for
both at the same time, or risk looking like you came straight out of
the 1980s. The dramatic smoky eye has been popular for awhile now
and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. It’s up to you how dramatic
to make it, depending on the thickness of the eyeliner, the color
and intensity of the eyeshadows, and the type of mascara. You can
turn up the volume even more with a pair of good fake eyelashes.
Practice applying them before the big night, as they can be a bit
tricky.

Gold. Remember the rule about light lips?
Light doesn’t have to be boring; in fact, gold is 2009’s defining
holiday look. Warm and subtly sparkly, gold body shimmers, blushes,
eyeshadows, and lip glosses are all possibilities. Less is more when
it comes to metallics, though; limit them to 1-2 areas of the face.
For an elegant look, try a hint of gold shimmer on the cheekbones or
layer a translucent gold gloss over nude lipstick. But beware opaque
gold lipstick – and please, avoid the tackiness of actual glitter.

Dark lips. If you choose this route, you’ll
need to go easy on the eyes. But a dark red pucker is a holiday
classic, and one of relatively few occasions where you can carry off
this much drama. For a modern twist on dark lips, you can try
warmer, coppery reds or even dramatic plum shades. Purple has
definitely made a comeback in 2009.

Nude nails. Nothing says sophistication like
impeccably manicured nude nails with just a hint of shimmer. (Plus,
they can help you avoid the trying-too-hard look of nails that match
your outfit and makeup perfectly.) Keep them well-shaped and fairly
short, especially for an office party. Classic dark red nails are a
possibility if you just have to have color, but we prefer nude for a
chic, goes-with-everything choice.

Remember, holiday social events range from the very
casual work potluck to the very posh cocktail party. Choose your
makeup accordingly – especially if the people there include your
bosses.